The Home Cook Book

The ladies of 1870s Chicago pooled their recipes and signed every one — corned beef from Mrs. Beaty, lemon pie from Mrs. Saulter.

This site is the complete 1874 book The Home Cook Book, page by page as originally printed — period spelling, remedies and opinions included. About this edition →

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Dinner Etiquette

12 recipes

Our Susan's Opinion of a Kitchen

978 recipes

Highlights

Strawberry Ice Cream

Mash with a potato pounder in an earthen bowl, one quart of strawberries with one pound of sugar, rub it through the colander and…

Side Dish

Chopped cold meat well seasoned; wet with gravy, if convenient, put it on a platter; then take cold rice made moist with milk and…

Mr. and Mrs

*Request the pleasure of Company (name.) date and No o'clock. The favour of an answer is requested. (or) R. S. V. P.

Gold Cake

One-half cup butter, two cups sugar, half cup milk, three of flour, three teaspoons Cook's Friend baking powder, and yolks of…

Boiled Codfish-Salt

Soak two pounds of codfish in lukewarm water over night or for several hours; change the water several times; about one hour…

Breakfast Gems

Mrs. Brown, One cup sweet milk, one and a half cups flour, one egg; one teaspoon salt, one teaspoon Cook's Friend baking powder…

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Rights & ReuseThe complete text of The Home Cook Book (1874) is in the public domain in the United States — like all works published before 1928 — and is free to read, download, quote, teach from, and reuse. This digital edition (its transcription, restored images, and site design) is © 2026 PhotoOpAI, and any editorial commentary we add is clearly marked as ours; the underlying public-domain text carries no such restriction.